Geography
Topic:
Spatial thinking examines the relationships among people, places and environments by mapping and graphing geographic data. Geographic data are compiled, organized, stored and made visible using traditional and geospatial technologies. Students need to be able to access, read, interpret and create maps and other geographic representations as tools of analysis.
Content Statement:
12. Maps and other geographic representations can be used to trace the development of human settlement from past to present.

Expectations for Learning:
Demonstrate how maps and other geographic representations can be used to trace the development of human settlement from past to present.


Selection of Maps

This website developed by the University of Texas at Austin offers online maps of current interest. Viewers will be able to explore current interest (very timely!), general interest and historical maps of almost any destination in the world. In addition this site will link the viewer to maps on other websites. This is an excellent resource for research and exploration of the "teachable moments."


Human and Physical Geography

This is a great website to send student to because it is easy to read and filled with interesting pictures. Fortunately, it is directly aligned to the Ohio content standards for geography and human movement. Provided on this site is a self correcting quiz that could be used to evaluate students. A teacher could use this site in a variety of creative ways.


Assessing Political Boundaries
This instructional resource provides teachers with tools to engage students in the investigation of both the political and physical boundaries of Asia. The resource reflects high expectations including the acquisition of knowledge through the use of primary geography tools; and the application of knowledge through the construction of a position paper describing how boundaries can be used to enhance or deter a regions power and grandeur. In this lesson students will be asked to use historical maps of Asia to predict and investigate the role physical boundaries play in the creation of political boundaries. Following the procedures within this lesson a student will be exposed to the advantages and disadvantages of physical, political, and defensive boundaries. A suggested assessment and extensive activity is provided, but a teacher will need to format the information to meet the needs of his/her classroom. The links provided will direct teachers to maps of Asia, however a teacher will need to explore the list to narrow down which are best for student use.